Witamy!

Welcome to The Poland Site website. Our aim is to showcase the strong links between Poland and England, and provide you with all the information you might need to travel between the two countries. If you are Polish and looking to come to England to work or travel, we can advise you on what you will need and should be aware of. Equally

if you are English and thinking of going to Poland, we can help you know what to expect and where to go to get the most out of your visit.

Fewer people are aware, however, of the contribution made during the Battle by Polish pilots, contribution which is perhaps most vividly described in the words of Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding, the C-in-C of the RAF Fighter Command during the Battle:

“(...) had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of battle would have been the same.”

Polish – English Relations

The story of Polish involvement in this greatest air battle in history is just one example of the proud tradition of co-operation between the two countries. First Polish pilots started reaching England in December 1939, following the British agreement to accept a contingent of 300 Polish aircrew and 2,000 of support personnel. The British were at first reluctant to use them for operational duties, but after the German invasion of France, in view of her imminent collapse, the Air Ministry agreed to form two Polish bomber squadrons, as part of the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve. Sir Hugh Dowding strongly opposed forming Polish fighter squadrons - for which the Polish government in exile pressed very hard - but in view of rapidly deteriorating military situation, with Britain's very survival depending on the Few fighter pilots it could muster, an agreement was finally reached on August 5, 1940. Four bomber and two fighter squadrons would be formed. These would formally constitute an independent Polish Air Force, operationally however they would be under British command.